


sketches and street food

by bubbleTeaAndHotChocolate



Series: Coffee Shop series [2]
Category: DBSK | Tohoshinki | TVfXQ | TVXQ, JYJ (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Alternate Universe - College/University, First Kiss, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-04
Updated: 2020-11-03
Packaged: 2021-03-09 03:00:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 10,347
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27377590
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bubbleTeaAndHotChocolate/pseuds/bubbleTeaAndHotChocolate
Summary: Coffee Shop AU, Yunho POV of "a tea for here, please".
Relationships: Jung Yunho (DBSK)/Kim Jaejoong
Series: Coffee Shop series [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1999906
Comments: 1
Kudos: 11





	1. First Meeting

Chapter 1

Yunho woke up and laid in bed, letting himself imagine it was still the 25th for a few more minutes. He hadn’t really celebrated Christmas this year, but at least yesterday he’d taken a strict vow to do no homework and have fun with his friends after FaceTiming his family. Now he had to finish his conceptual drawing assignments and then study building materials.

He put on a sweater with reindeer on it so he could pretend it was still Christmas and grabbed his backpack. Last week he’d realized it was getting very difficult for him to focus in his apartment. It wasn’t the noise of his roommates. He’d always needed a little background noise to focus anyway. He just got distracted and started wasting time on his laptop or playing with the things on his desk. He didn’t feel like going to the library, so he looked up the café nearest to him and decided to try his luck there instead.

Yunho had just started to feel a little warmer from walking in the sun for a few minutes when he reached Moldir Café. Being open 24 hours and near the university, it was a popular spot for students. Yunho entered, immediately catching sight of the menu and looking for the tea options. Then he looked down at the barista and decided to mentally rehearse his order.

_It’s an oolong tea, it’s an oolong tea, how are his eyes freaking sparkling? Yunho, how tired are you that you’ve started hallucinating things?_

The barista smiled professionally as Yunho approached, and he got distracted by the way one of his cheeks dimpled. “Hi, what can I get you?”

“Oolong tea, please.” The barista nodded.

“What size?”

“Medium.” Yunho read the barista’s nametag before asking himself why he felt the need. The barista, whose name was evidently Jaejoong, needed _his_ name, not the other way around.

Jaejoong turned to his computer, and Yunho reflexively fished for his wallet. “Name?”

“Yunho.” The digital card reader was facing him now, and Yunho picked one of the precalculated tip options. His friends found it funny that he was extraordinarily cheap about things, but once he bought something he always tipped. They said it fit with his all or nothing personality. He reflexively half-bowed after putting his wallet back.

Saying please, thank you, and half-bowing or even courteous head-nodding were habits trained into him that he couldn’t stop doing even with friends. Yunho knew it put up a wall between him and everyone else in the world, but right now he was a little grateful for it. His formal habits grounded him, somehow. Even when very exhausted. Or facing a very pretty barista.

The pretty barista told him he’d call his name when the tea was ready, and Yunho turned to pick a table. He didn’t like having his back facing doors, so he picked one that was sort of in a corner, next to a bookcase. He may have also picked one that was directly across from where the baristas worked, but that was not important. After all, he was going to deliberately choose a seat that wasn’t directly facing them. He knew a distraction when he saw one.


	2. Caught

Chapter 2

Yunho hadn’t taken the optional winter semester last year, and after this one, he was going to try his best to make sure he never had to again. Coursework squished into such a small timeframe was a challenge he did not need. And obviously it meant he barely got a break before the spring semester started.

He had his concept sketch in front of him, but his peripheral vision was all he cared about right now. The cute barista had an erratic, inconsistent schedule, but he was working today. He looked nice in his collared shirt and university sweater combination. Yunho was aware that he had an unusually high level of self-control, but times like this were when he made it work to his advantage. Every time Yunho managed to finish a section of his sketch, he rewarded himself with a glance or two. He also rewarded himself with sips of tea, but being the cheapskate that he was, he was only going to buy one cup of tea per café visit. Meaning he had to ration it out for two hours, by the end of which it was always cold.

On days like today, when the barista wore clothes Yunho particularly liked, he considered asking him out. But then he remembered school and work were already hard enough. Under that was also fear. Smiling was part of all service jobs, so how was Yunho supposed to tell if he’d even be interested? If he was turned down, he’d have to find a new café too, and he rather liked it here. Therefore, he was going to keep thinking of him as “the barista” even though he knew his name. After all, the guy was just pretty. Beautiful, even. Yunho could pretend that his personality wasn’t, if it allowed him to create some sort of mental barrier.

Yunho started back on his notes, trying to figure out all the factors he needed to consider for designing a hospital waiting room. A lot of his assignments in this class were about designing everyday spaces to meet needs, but Yunho had found out that just because something was ordinary didn’t mean it was easy. Sometimes it meant you had been in a lot of hospital waiting rooms and seen them on TV, but they all had serious design flaws that were clouding your judgement of what they should look like.

A familiar voice broke into his thoughts. “No, no it’s fine.” Yunho frowned. He was too far away from the register to be hearing- oh. The barista was sitting a table away, facing him. There appeared to be a student sitting in front of him. Maybe a friend? Why was the barista here? Didn’t he have work?

_Not your business, Jung Yunho. Do your work. If you keep looking at him, you don’t get to come here next week, I mean it._

Yunho managed not to stare at him, but he couldn’t help overhearing bits of their conversation. The barista was talking most of the time, which made sense because it seemed he was tutoring. In some sort of science, apparently. Yunho’s major was in the school of engineering, which was still science, but when Yunho thought of science he still thought of the biology and chemistry classes he’d taken in high school. The barista had probably tutored this student for a while, because they seemed quite friendly. Yunho figured he should probably stop eavesdropping now. He’d always respected teachers a lot, and this new development was making things worse for his… crush? Did he have a crush? He put his sketchpad down, unable to focus on it anyway.

His sudden realization was interrupted by the sound of the barista’s laugh. _His laugh is so… real_ , Yunho mused. The way it either burst out of him all at once or bubbled over into the air slowly when he was trying to hold it in… it sounded like pure delight either way. Like the laugh of someone who laughed often, determined to find something to enjoy in every situation no matter what. Yunho tried to convince himself that the barista probably tutored purely for the money, and it didn’t reflect on his character at all, but this was a futile endeavor. The reason didn’t matter to him. He just wanted to ask. He had a lot of questions he wanted to ask, for no reason at all. He didn’t want to theorize about what kind of person the man sitting a table away from him was. He wanted to go and find out for himself.

Yunho looked up from the table at the barista, deciding he was going to leave in a few minutes. Other customers got to look at him, so why couldn’t he?

They locked eyes, and suddenly Yunho could feel his heart pounding. But the other man quickly looked back down at his phone, a small smile forming on his face.

Yunho got up and left, trying to ignore the hope blossoming in his chest. That smile was because of him, wasn’t it?


	3. Macarons

Chapter 4

Yunho tried to walk fast, knowing he was behind schedule. He’d had to stay late at the hapkido academy on account of one of his student’s parents being late for pick up. School was on a break right now, but he needed to practice drawing daily if he wanted to improve. He also needed to get better at making 3D designs from paper, but that was something he usually practiced at school.

And although he was having trouble admitting it, he was excited to go back to the café. He had only been once for barely an hour last week, but the person he’d been wanting to see hadn’t been working. Usually either the barista was there when Yunho came in and ordered, or he came in while Yunho was seated. He’d never just not had a shift the entire time Yunho was there. Yunho was afraid he’d start keeping track of the barista’s schedule to try to develop a pattern like a total creep if this continued occurring. It was the middle of the week, and school hadn’t started yet. If he ended up staying there for hours waiting, then, well. It technically wouldn’t hurt anyone.

He walked into the café and let out a breath he hadn’t realized he was holding. The barista was here. And he’d seen him come in. Yunho couldn’t help smiling, looking at those beautiful brown eyes. He still hadn’t figured out what he liked about them so much. After all, eyes weren’t all that unique, were they?

“Which tea will it be today?” the barista teased. _Oh God, he’s noticed._

Feeling embarrassed, Yunho responded, “I’m a bit predictable, aren’t I?” The barista shrugged, the easy smile still on his face.

“You just like what you like!”

Yunho had the vague feeling he should order now and tried to remember what kinds of teas existed in the world. Remembering which kinds were available specifically at this café seemed to be a bit too much for him right now. The barista had strayed from his normal script, and his smile was very lovely. It was disorienting. And Yunho’s brain had decided it wasn’t ready to move on from how soft the green shirt in front of him looked.

“Okay, I’ll get a medium green tea, please.” Yunho couldn’t hold back his smile, watching the man in front of him go through the usual motions of an order. Finals last week had been exhausting, and he hadn’t realized how much this routine had comforted him.

Apparently, finals had zapped his brain cells too. When the barista completed the order, Yunho said, “Well, you know where I’ll be sitting,” and didn’t even remember until a few seconds later that where he sat was irrelevant; customers came to the counter when their order was called.

When he came to the counter a few minutes later, he heard the faint sounds of people singing. It was coming from the other baristas. They were singing happy birthday. Given the look on Yunho’s favorite barista’s face, the song was for him, which meant he was almost two weeks older than Yunho. He joined in on the song, feeling a sudden burst of fondness for the group. They’d gotten the birthday boy a cake! He leaned forward to see, a bit confused. There were little black cats on it, and it was for some reason very important for him to figure out why.

The song finished, and the barista who had served Yunho last week mumbled, “Please blow out the candle, I’m really hungry.” Yunho’s barista was older than her, then. And looking very adorable in his little birthday hat. He turned to Yunho.

“Um, do you want a piece?” He was probably wondering why Yunho was still here, and not back at his table.

“No, no, I’m supposed to eat less sugar these days,” Yunho was busy pondering why his characteristic stinginess had deserted him, although he was pretty sure at this point, he knew exactly why. Fine. If he couldn’t resist buying the barista something, he’d cancel it out with more formality. “Can I get you something for later, hyung?”

“You don’t have to call me hyung, Jaejoong is fine, really. And you’re getting me what?” _Oh God,_ Yunho thought belatedly. _What if he doesn’t like sweets?_ He tapped the dessert display case, taking a gamble anyway.

“Okay, Jaejoong,” he paused, repressing the urge to say the name again. And again. Avoiding even thinking the name for so long had apparently resulted in him wanting to say it a dozen times now. “Which is your favorite? I’m buying it for you.” _You idiot, he already has cake._ “Or I can buy them for you another day, since you already have cake today.”

“I can eat both! Hmm…” Jaejoong looked at the desserts, his brows creased a little in thought.

 _Jaejoong. It’s Jaejoong’s birthday today. Jaejoong looks cute._ Yunho turned the name over in his mind as Jaejoong picked.

“I’ll pick the macarons.” Yunho wondered if Jaejoong had ever eaten the desserts at his own job. He’d never seen him do it, but that didn’t mean anything. And he didn’t seem to have a favorite kind, since he hadn’t specified. If he hadn’t eaten the desserts here, Yunho wanted him to get to taste every flavor of macaron they had.

“Okay, I’ll get five, one of each flavor. Alright?”

Jaejoong nodded and reached for the tongs, but one of his coworkers swatted his hand. “Oh would you stop, it’s your birthday.” She addressed the rest of the group while getting the macarons. “Hey, let’s pick a table and eat. Unless... Jaejoong, if you have plans, you can go, I’ll put these in a to-go box. Your shift just ended.”

Jaejoong was smiling. He must’ve really not known they’d planned this for his birthday, because he still looked a little shocked. “No, of course I’m staying.”

Then he picked up a plate and held it out towards his coworker with both hands. “Please give me my macarons,” he said, his tone turning pleading. His coworker laughed, clearly bemused.

Yunho felt his heart melting. He’d never seen Jaejoong pout or act anything besides completely professional before, and right now he looked genuinely... adorable. Yunho had the feeling he would give him anything he wanted if he pouted at him like that. The group put the cake down on a customer table and started to sit down.

Yunho felt this was a coworker gathering now, and he should go back to his table. He turned to do so, but Jaejoong pulled out another chair and met his eyes. “You got me macarons, come sit with us if you’re not busy.”

And who was Yunho to deny the birthday boy? He said thank you and sat down, realizing this was the closest he’d ever been to Jaejoong. Then he remembered his manners and asked everyone their names and majors. The barista who’d served him last week was Yuri, and she was indeed younger than Jaejoong. She was a freshman, majoring in sports medicine. Sooyoung was the one who had served Jaejoong his macarons, and she was a sophomore majoring in graphic design. Minhyuk was a freshman in civil engineering, and Yeowool was a freshman in computer science.

Jaejoong was pre-veterinarian. Yunho had assumed they were almost the same age this whole time, and he had been correct. “Ah, is that why there are cats on the cake? Because you’re pre-vet?”

“I mean, I think so. I didn’t order the cake, remember.” Yunho knew he was teasing, and he flushed. He liked being teased by Jaejoong more than he wanted to admit. That was friendly behavior, which was one step away from… well, what he was becoming sure he wanted. Jaejoong scanned the other baristas’ faces until he found what he was looking for. “It was you two, wasn’t it?” He asked Yuri and Sooyoung.

Yuri answered him. “Yeah, right both times. We, um, didn’t think about what the cake would look like after we cut the cake though…” she trailed off.

Jaejoong put his head in his hands, and Yunho felt the sudden urge to ruffle his hair. “Oh my God, Yuri. Rest in peace little kittens, I’ll save you next time.”

Yunho smiled. He really was adorable. And he was studying to save the lives of cute tiny animals. What was the catch?

Minhyuk interrupted his thoughts. “Hey, Jaejoong hyung, do you think animals can leave ghosts?”

Sooyoung clearly remembered they had a guest. Perhaps her coworkers had said something weird in front of strangers before. “Yunho, I swear we’re not psychopaths.”

He was actually wondering about everyone’s thoughts on this. Yunho had a vague childhood memory of some church _ahjumma_ saying dogs didn’t have souls, so they couldn’t go to heaven. Obviously, this was not the sort of thought some children with recently deceased pets had wanted to hear. “I’m curious now too, anyway.” He looked at Jaejoong out of habit, delighted that he seemed to be enjoying the macarons.

Jaejoong shrugged. “How am I supposed to know? I hope not, they’ll haunt me. I’m curious about something too, though. Who found out it was my birthday? And how? I thought I hadn’t told any of you.”

He really was touched, then. Yunho should remember that. Birthdays were a big deal to Jaejoong. That meant possibly other dates were too, like anniversaries. Yunho was horrible with dates, he should start keeping track now. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he knew what this sort of thought meant.

Yeowool answered the question. “Oh, that was easy. We used to do stuff for everyone’s birthday at my high school job, so when I got here, I looked everyone up. We’re... not stalkers.”

Yunho realized this last part was directed at him. As someone who was currently considering checking his credit card history to figure out what date he had met Jaejoong, in case that counted as an anniversary… he really didn’t have the right to accuse Yeowool of stalking. He waved her off and dragged them back to the earlier question.

“What if they’re friendly ghosts? Like pets that miss their owners and don’t want to leave yet. Nobody said they had to haunt anyone in a horror movie way.” The group jumped into discussion.

Yunho kept stealing glances at the man beside him, feeling like he’d won at the game of probability. He’d managed to both come in on Jaejoong’s birthday and celebrate it with him. Jaejoong ate neatly, not leaving a single stray crumb, and frequently after taking a bite, he’d close his eyes and sigh, a faint smile on his face. Yunho hoped maybe someday soon, he’d get to eat with Jaejoong alone. He’d save up to buy Jaejoong lots of food if it meant he got to see that enraptured smile.


	4. Names

Chapter 4

Being a second year was great in a lot of ways, but there was one thing Yunho had learned to be ready for after last semester. Classes really did start on the first day, with assignments piling up even in the first week. He’d went from designing a few rooms to trying to do the layout of a whole building.

A few days ago, he’d been in the middle of doing just that, when Jaejoong came to his table and asked him if he wanted his tea reheated. On the one hand, Yunho felt almost ecstatic that Jaejoong had gone to the trouble of coming to the table to ask. On the other, he felt bad that Jaejoong was doing extra work because he was too cheap to just finish the tea when it was warm and then buy more. However, it wasn’t like Jaejoong hadn’t offered out of his own free will, so he tried not to feel too bad.

Yunho had taken a sip of the tea and closed his eyes as the warmth of it spread through him. He didn’t really want to analyze whether Jaejoong had done this for him because he liked doing his job well, or because they were kind of friends now, after his birthday. All that mattered is he had, and an uncontrollable fondness for Jaejoong was growing in his chest. Yunho was pretty sure soon that feeling would outweigh his fear of rejection. After all, it had already far grown past his fear of having to find a new café to go to.

He opened his eyes, surprised to find Jaejoong still at the table. He immediately straightened, noticing where Jaejoong was looking. Yunho didn’t really believe that showing people your unfinished work was bad luck, but he reflexively flipped the sketchpad over. Jaejoong looked startled.

“Sorry, I-” Yunho shook his head to cut him off. He wasn’t mad at all, and he didn’t want Jaejoong to think he was. Actually, what he felt for Jaejoong right now was… the exact opposite of mad, but he hadn’t planned how to tell him that yet.

“No, it’s fine. Just it’s not done yet, so you can’t see it yet.”

Jaejoong visibly relaxed a little. “Well, so far it looks… really nice. I can’t draw at all, this is… wow.”

God, Jaejoong’s compliment had felt even better than the warm tea. He hadn’t been ready for it at all, or the nervous energy spreading through his body. He had been really close to saying it. _I like you. I really like you._

But in the end, he couldn’t say that. “Thanks,” he’d said quietly.

Jaejoong hadn’t reheated his tea for him since then, but Yunho didn’t want to think about that. Today was his birthday, and he wanted to see him. He’d finished his tea, but he didn’t want to leave yet. He wasn’t sure what he wanted to do. But something about the last week had felt like progress, and he wanted to keep going, somehow.

He looked down at his empty mug. If there was any day he should stop being cheap and buy another tea, it was today.

Jaejoong teased him when he came up to the register. “Ordering more? What’s the occasion?”

 _Little do you know._ “It’s my birthday, actually. One medium oolong tea, please.”

“Really?” Yunho must be extra weak for Jaejoong’s charms today, because even his interested tone made his heart pound. Then it got even better. He pushed on Yunho’s hand, rejecting his card, and Yunho resisted a little, automatically trying to prolong the touch. “This one’s on the house then,” he gave Yunho a look that immediately shut him up and continued, “You paid on my birthday, remember? Anyway, do you have a wish I can grant?”

 _Kiss me, please, please…_ Yunho laughed a little, once again taken aback by how attracted he was to Jaejoong when he teased and messed around like this. That, and the thing about being a stingy person was that anyone paying for anything of Yunho’s had a way straight into his heart.

Yunho bit his lip, thinking about a more realistic wish. He leaned closer to Jaejoong before fully realizing what he was doing. Clearly, he hadn’t fully let go of the idea of a kiss yet. “When I accidentally let my tea go cold, will you reheat it for me? Like before? It’s really not fair to do that once and then let me go back to experiencing cold tea.” Oh, wow. He’d felt more disappointed than he’d thought, last time he was here and Jaejoong didn’t reheat his tea again. He’d been worried Jaejoong didn’t want to come to his table again, or something.

Jaejoong nodded, and Yunho desperately wanted to tip his chin up with his finger a little, just to see those eyes. “Thank you.”

By the time Jaejoong brought his tea, Yunho had spent a lot of time trying to figure out why he hadn’t reheated his tea last time. He still wasn’t sure why, but he still thought he’d startled Jaejoong by snatching away his sketch like that, when Jaejoong had been looking at it. He didn’t know how else to fix it besides showing Jaejoong the finished one. So he shown him, and Jaejoong had complimented him. He even remembered the sign he’d seen on it last time and figured out Yunho was from Gwangju. Then he did something even better.

“Yunho.” He turned, his heart skipping a beat just from hearing his name in that voice. Jaejoong wasn’t looking at him. Yunho kept watching him, though, enjoying being this close and being allowed to look. “Does the architecture school have some sort of showcase? If it does and your stuff will be there, I’d like to go.”

 _Oh. Oh my God. He likes my sketches, doesn’t he? And… he’d like to see me outside of work, right?_ This felt better than when his professor had approved of his project. “There is,” he answered, smiling. Jaejoong turned, and Yunho got lost in his eyes for a second before realizing there was a slight problem. But he might have a solution for that. “But it’s at the end of the semester. There’s an exhibit at the university that I wanted to check out next week, though. If you’d like to come.”

He’d actually stopped going to the monthly exhibits a while ago. He’d just gotten busy and if his architecture friends weren’t free to go with him, it wasn’t as fun. Plus, he had to switch hapkido academy shifts with someone to go. But Jaejoong didn’t know any of that. Jaejoong, whose hand was brushing his shoulder.

“I’d like that. I’d really like that. What day is it?” Yunho suddenly wanted to have Jaejoong’s phone number. He’d actually wanted it for a while, but now it was actually quite possible.

“It’s next Wednesday, at 6,” he held out his phone before fully processing what he was doing. _Um, you should probably say some sort of reason._ “Can I have your number? In case you get lost or something… I’m guessing you’ve never been in the Architecture building.”

When Yunho got his phone back, he saw Jaejoong had put in his full name. _Kim Jaejoong_ , his new contact read. Well, Jaejoong should get his full name and number too. It was only fair. And definitely not the result of Yunho texting him just because he could. Yunho waited until Jaejoong was doing something with the dessert display to hit send, so he could see his reaction.

_It’s meeeeee (Jung Yunho)_

Jaejoong smiled, and then his eyes met Yunho’s. Yunho sighed a little, feeling pure pleasure at the fact that he had caused that smile.

When he went home, Yunho found himself mumbling _Kim Jaejoong_ to himself as he wandered about the apartment. He couldn’t help it. The name sounded nice. It sounded nice with his own name, too. He wanted to keep saying it. Preferably to Jaejoong’s face, preferably while on a date. He’d watched Jaejoong smile and laugh with his coworkers, with the students he tutored at the café sometimes. He’d watched him celebrate with Sooyoung when she’d gotten some sort of good news the other day, jumping up and down and hugging her. He’d watched him do his work diligently, no matter how tired he was. He’d watched him fuss over Minhyuk when he’d come in with a little bit of a cold, too.

He didn’t know nearly enough about Jaejoong, and he wanted to know more so badly his chest ached. He liked everything he’d seen so far. Jaejoong seemed like a good friend, and a good coworker. That probably meant he would be a good boyfriend, too.

And he really was so beautiful. His smile and laugh were positively enchanting, and those almond shaped eyes still held Yunho’s attention like nobody else’s. He had such soft looking black hair, so striking against his skin. And although he’d tried not to notice, Jaejoong’s lips looked inviting too.

Yunho figured he’d better dress really well next week, and not just because his professors would probably be at the exhibit.


	5. Exhibit

Chapter 5

Putting together nice outfits was a bit of a scavenger hunt for Yunho, which was why he’d come up with a few to use on rotation. The process mostly involved the university career closet, borrowing things from roommates, and maintaining older clothes for long periods of time so they looked new. This last one was the hardest for Yunho, who liked food to the point that he forgot other things while eating. He wasn’t a disgusting eater, he was just a little messy and stuck in his habits. When he was drawing or making models, he cluttered the space but always cleaned it at the end. That was how he was in general. But he couldn’t just wait until the end of the meal to brush crumbs off. By then, they’d already stained something or been noticed by other people.

Today’s outfit consisted of a blazer (courtesy of the university career closet), a black shirt, and white pants that he almost never wore because keeping them white stressed him out. He wore his grandfather’s watch for good luck. Yunho was the only son and eldest child in his family, so he’d received the watch from his grandfather on one of his last days in the hospital. Initially, he’d thought wearing the watch would make him sad, but now it made him feel like his grandfather was watching over him. In a benevolent, well-wishing sort of way, not like a stalker.

He needed luck today. Today he was going to see Jaejoong, alone, without the boundary of the ordering counter between them. He looked at himself in the mirror and talked to himself sternly, trying to ignore his nerves. _No rambling. Just because you’re obsessed with your major doesn’t mean he is. He takes care of you at the café, you take care of him tonight. Whatever his equivalent of having someone reheat tea for him is… find out what it is._

Yunho relaxed as he walked, braced by the cold air outside and the thought of being near Jaejoong for longer than a few minutes. He’d gotten a taste of that on Jaejoong’s birthday and had wanted more ever since.

He stopped short of the building, having caught sight of someone familiar. Jaejoong hadn’t noticed him yet, so Yunho let himself appreciate how he looked, standing on the steps with the last rays of sunlight filtering through his hair and reflecting off his white sweater. Oh, it was a good thing he hadn’t told Jaejoong to dress up for this. He hadn’t wanted to inconvenience him for no reason, but he was now aware how… expensive Jaejoong always looked. With those fine features, he could probably get away with wearing ripped jeans to a formal dinner, or even a funeral. And, with that white knit sweater on, Yunho could tell he didn’t just have a nice face either. His black boots were slightly heeled. Not enough for him to be taller than Yunho, whose mouth suddenly went dry. When had he started finding that hot?

Jaejoong was toying with a golden bracelet, and his tongue darted out to lick his lips. Yunho’s eyes followed the motion, briefly entranced. He’d noticed that was a nervous habit of Jaejoong’s. _Wait. Is he nervous?_

He looked up as Yunho approached, freezing for just a second before smiling in greeting. Not close enough to say anything yet, Yunho waved his hand at him a little. _Ah, he really didn’t see me coming. I startled him._

When Yunho reached him, Jaejoong punched his shoulder lightly. “You lied to me!” He exclaimed in a tone of mock betrayal. “You said I didn’t need to look super nice!”

 _But you do look super nice!_ “Just because you don’t doesn’t mean I don’t have to. My professors might show up,” Jaejoong still looked a little betrayed, so Yunho continued, “Seriously, you’ll be fine. There will be a lot of students going for extra credit, and they’ll show up in hoodies.”

Jaejoong frowned slightly, but Yunho could tell he was messing with him. He probably shouldn’t find that so endearing, but Jaejoong had an exceedingly cute pout. “If you want to impress the professors just tape one of your sketches to your shirt, Jung Yunho.” The sound of Yunho’s full name in that sulky voice obliterated all thoughts from his mind, leaving only the need to hear it again.

He wanted to mess with Jaejoong in return, but the sneaky compliment had rendered him helpless. Yunho retracted his earlier thought. That pout wasn’t an adorable expression. It was a deadly weapon, probably honed to perfection over the course of Jaejoong’s childhood. Yunho bumped shoulders with him, trying to keep his voice light. “You won’t think I’m that great after tonight, I’m only a second year.” Then, holding formality in front of him like a shield, he added, “But thanks.”

After ushering Jaejoong into the bustling room, he started to feel strangely possessive. Some of the younger students and even older adults were staring at Jaejoong. They already knew Yunho, they wouldn’t stare at him like that. It wasn’t that Yunho minded that other people found Jaejoong attractive. Of course they did. It was just… Jaejoong had a tiny waist, and the stares made Yunho want to put his arm around it even more. People shouldn’t stare unless they intended to memorize that face and buy its owner fancy things. Yunho knew Jaejoong already had at least two jobs and was a student. Something about that, combined with the way he had smiled and made small, pleasured sounds as he’d eaten macarons on his birthday, made Yunho want to spoil him rotten.

Jaejoong was currently standing next to him, and Yunho followed his gaze to the exhibit sign, which read “The Green House: New Directions in Sustainable Architecture and Design”. Yunho was briefly distracted by how the dimmed lights made Jaejoong’s skin glow. Then he remembered that he was supposed to be hosting.

“The exhibit is about eco-friendly architecture. Certain techniques and designs, depending on, like, climate of the region and so on, can be used to reduce electricity usage. Some of it’s actually really simple changes, it doesn’t always have to involve tearing down and redoing all buildings. Anyway-” Jaejoong had started smiling and Yunho found it was hard to continue in the face of that, “-excuse me, Mr. Kim Jaejoong, why are you smiling? Does the impending doom of climate change amuse you?” Jaejoong’s smile grew. _He likes being teased as much as he likes teasing._

“No sir, no I do not. Please continue,” Jaejoong responded, hitting the tone for mock formality perfectly. He was definitely the kind of person who watched kdramas and imitated how all the upper-class Seoul businessmen talked.

Yunho could work with this. He stepped closer, enjoying how Jaejoong got flustered but still maintained the smile. “Really, now. Then what are you smiling about?”

“You,” Jaejoong licked his lips, and Yunho felt a thrill run through his stomach. He’d never been this close when Jaejoong did that. “How much you like what you do. You’re not ever sick of your field?”

Yunho had a lot of thoughts regarding his field, but he couldn’t talk about them here, so near to the entrance. He led Jaejoong to one of the pieces displayed in the corner. “I don’t know if this counts as being sick of it, but we are so hypocritical sometimes. If you think about it, this showcase is about improving the world through architecture, right? But most of the professors won’t even fight to use these techniques in our own building because they’re scared of getting on the university’s bad side. Actually, forget the eco-friendly stuff, they won’t even fight to make the university more accessible to its own students! This building is a nightmare for anyone who uses a wheelchair! And nobody wants to talk about the labor going into this, because supposedly it’s ‘not our business,’ even though you can’t name a single famous building where the people who actually, like, physically made the building were paid fairly,” Yunho sucked in a breath. Apparently, he’d decided to channel his… frustration regarding Jaejoong into a whole other kind of frustration. He should stop. Jaejoong’s eyes had gone wide, probably because he had asked one question and received all of this in response. “I mean… I don’t know. Surely it’s a little like this in your field too? In every field?”

To his surprise, Jaejoong had listened to his entire rant. “I mean, to oversimplify it… veterinarians are doctors for animals… a lot of the problems you see in human medicine are an issue for us too. I always think when I start working I’ll just try to make good choices and change what I think is wrong, but then I think that’s probably what the people before me thought they would do too. And there’s so much… ego in our fields. We’re saving lives, and you’re basically leaving your mark on the earth, especially if you create something really famous.” _Oh God, he’s smart too._ _Please, please be single…_

Jaejoong pointed at the display, and Yunho blinked, distracted by the way his bracelet glinted in the light. “Now please explain what this is all about. Do you get to make cute little fun-size buildings too?”

 _He wants me to keep talking?_ Yunho smiled, feeling utterly relieved. He was indeed learning how to make the building models and, well. Now he was imagining showing Jaejoong those, too. He quickly looked at the plaque next to the display. “Yeah, I make model buildings too. Okay, so this one here proposes using more recycled materials to make the building, and of course,” he pointed to the mini-windows and roof, “these both have solar panels, and the roof is collecting rainwater to use for gardening and stuff.” His breath stuttered a little as Jaejoong came closer, bending down a little to peer at the miniature.

“The windows have solar panels? But they look like normal windows!” Yunho nodded, slowly realizing that if he kept talking about the displays, Jaejoong would keep examining them, which allowed Yunho to look at him without being noticed. He really was so focused. Yunho smiled at him fondly. _I’m not going to test you on this, calm down, Jaejoong._

“Yeah, see-through solar panels were invented a while ago, which is really good because most solar panels look kind of ugly, which annoys people. Yet here we are, not using them everywhere. I mean, it wouldn’t be best to have them _everywhere_ , but still… oh! And I don’t know if you’ve ever seen glasses that use transition lenses?”

Jaejoong had moved even closer to Yunho, looking at the other side of the building. “Like the ones that get dark when it’s sunny outside?”

Yunho nodded, feeling weirdly proud. “These windows have that too, so it can block the sun when it’s too hot outside, which will obviously lower the energy used on aircon…”

About an hour and a half later, they were almost done viewing the whole showcase. At some point, Yunho had realized they were sort of dressed inversely. He was wearing a black shirt and white pants, and Jaejoong was wearing a white sweater and black jeans. He kept that observation to himself, delighting in the thought that they kind of looked like a couple. Yunho had served him when they’d reached the refreshments table, feeling giddy that doing something as small as getting him fruit and water brought out that lovely smile. When Jaejoong brought the water bottle to his lips, his pinky raised. It must be a reflex of his. Yunho tucked that fact away into the growing space of his mind reserved for Jaejoong.

He’d already gotten almost two hours with Jaejoong, and he still wanted more. Besides, he was still hosting, right? He stopped walking, thinking of an idea. Jaejoong stopped too.

“What is it?”

“Sorry, I’m so rude… have you eaten yet? We can get something, if you want.”

“Yeah, we can get something. Have you eaten? We can go somewhere that’s fast.”

Yunho shook his head. He absolutely did not want to go somewhere fast, but just in case Jaejoong did… “No, I haven’t either. Is there anywhere you want to go?”

Jaejoong smiled, and Yunho wondered what that was about. “The street food market? The one that’s like a ten-minute walk from here?”


	6. Sauce

Chapter 6

Jaejoong was so stubborn about not letting Yunho host sometimes that Yunho wondered if he didn’t like to be taken care of. He insisted on paying at the first food stall, so naturally Yunho told him he’d be paying at the next one. But then, Jaejoong chose one of the cheapest things at that food stall, clearly trying not to inconvenience Yunho.

Yunho had almost stamped his foot in indignation. _I want to take care of you, Kim Jaejoong! Just let me spoil you!_

So now they were competing to buy each other food, and at some point they’d started taking pictures of each other, too. Nothing beat seeing Jaejoong in real life, looking at his food in wonder while streetlamps illuminated that tempting skin of his, but having pictures was a close second. And Yunho loved watching him eat. Jaejoong could make any food look delicious, with the way he kept closing his eyes to savor it. He was neat as always, easily keeping his white sweater spotless. Yunho had to keep eating deliberately and carefully, making sure not to spoil one of his most expensive outfits. It was totally worth it, for the gorgeous scene in front of him.

They started talking as they walked around. Jaejoong was the youngest of 9 siblings, with 8 doting older sisters. He did indeed have two jobs, one at the café and one as a tutor. He liked to cook. He wanted to adopt a cat. Yunho now knew more about Jaejoong than he ever had before, but it wasn’t enough. The repressed attraction he’d been feeling the first weeks of going to the café had snowballed into a powerful ball of want lodged in his chest.

Yunho looked up from his food, surprised to find Jaejoong staring at him intently. “Yunho, you’ve got…”

Ah, so he’d managed to get something on his face after all. But he was holding a skewer with both hands. He could put it down, or…

“Oh, really?” He closed his eyes, not even sure how to ask for what he wanted. Jaejoong could just laugh it off and tell him to do it himself. “Will you…?” What he truly wanted was a kiss, but obviously that was not going to happen. Instead Yunho hoped he would get any contact at all, hoped that would satisfy him for tonight. He was going insane with want.

There was a silent, somewhat terrifying moment in which Jaejoong said nothing but didn’t do anything, either. Then Yunho felt a gentle dabbing near his lips. Jaejoong was cleaning the sauce with a napkin, and Yunho pressed into the touch just a little, able to feel his finger. Too soon, Jaejoong pulled away, and Yunho opened his eyes.

His heart was pounding, catching up with what he’d just done. “Thank you.”

Jaejoong ate some of his _dakkochi,_ then looked up at Yunho. “What time is it?”

“It’s almost ten,” Yunho decided today had been great by all standards, and he should stop being greedy for more time. “We should leave soon. Where do you live?”

“A little north of campus. Near the hospital. What about you?”

 _Farther than me, then_. “Right next to campus, probably a five-minute walk. You take the bus, right? I’ll go with you and then come back.” If he said it confidently enough, maybe Jaejoong wouldn’t question it and would let him take care of him one last time for tonight.

Jaejoong had done the math, though. “You don’t have to… you’d be going there and back for no reason, I’m fine. If anything, I should walk you back and then leave, it makes more sense.”

 _Not for no reason… if you think I don’t want to go through the trouble, you are so, so wrong._ Yunho tried again, just to check. “I have manners and it’s dark! I’m the one who invited you here, remember?”

Jaejoong teased him back, “Ah, so you’re gonna protect me, are you?” _If you’d let me! If you’d let me, I’m pretty sure I’d do a lot more than that._

Yunho set his skewer down. He didn’t need to start moving his arms around and fling sauce on accident. “Black belt in hapkido, remember?” _Your sweater looks very good on you, and it’s very white! It’s basically a glowing beacon to your location!_

Jaejoong whipped out his keys, showing Yunho the attached pepper spray. Yunho pouted. “Stop making this difficult, I want to, okay? Please?” Jaejoong put his hands up.

“Okay, okay.” And Yunho’s greedy heart rejoiced. He had at least another fifteen minutes with Jaejoong.

On the bus, Yunho asked Jaejoong more about what kinds of courses a pre-vet student took, and Jaejoong told him about animal academy. Jaejoong got to cuddle with dogs and cats and bunnies for _class._ That was so not fair. Especially not for Jaejoong’s classmates, who probably melted at the sight of Jaejoong with fluffy little animals. Yunho definitely would. If Jaejoong was also good with kids, it was over for him.

Also, maybe Yunho should stop wanting a kiss from him so badly. Even their arms and shoulders touching on the bus and their hands being so close when they walked was making Yunho’s heart rate skyrocket. Kissing Jaejoong might make him pass out.

Still, when they reached Jaejoong’s apartment, that was all he wanted to do. Jaejoong turned to him, and Yunho forced himself to look away from his lips.

“Promise I can make it inside without you, go home already.”

Could he hug him? The longing felt like it was spilling over and out of his body. He just… he needed to touch, make sure this night was real. Make sure Jaejoong was. Make sure Jaejoong _knew._ “I…” _I haven’t left yet, and I already want to see you again._ “I had a good time today. I hope you did too.”

His heart tapped out a joyful rhythm at the smile blooming on Jaejoong’s face. “I did, really. See you later?”

 _Yes. Yes, please._ “See you later.”

They waved goodbye, but Yunho wanted to see him just a little longer. He walked backwards a few steps so he could still look at Jaejoong, then turned.

Yunho’s phone buzzed when he was on the bus, and he jumped a little. _It could be anyone,_ he chided himself.

But it was from Jaejoong after all.

_Good night, Yunho._

And he’d added a blushing smiley face. Yunho wasn’t prepared for the way his chest squeezed painfully. He wanted more of this, so much more of this. He typed a response out, quickly.

_Good night, Jaejoong._

Even though maybe Jaejoong hadn’t realized that smiley face was blushing, Yunho hoped he had. He added the same one. He leaned back in his seat, hoping Jaejoong could somehow feel his thoughts. _Sweet dreams, Kim Jaejoong._


	7. Confession

Chapter 7

Yunho felt like yelling at his professors for inadvertently interfering with his love life. He was so swamped with the wave of assignments they were getting that he hadn’t had time to ask Jaejoong out again. He’d had the time to literally ask him, but he wanted to plan something. It needed to be the kind of date worthy of the confession he wanted to make. It needed to help him say “you’re kind, and smart, and you look exquisite, and I like how you lick your lips when you’re nervous, and how you remembered my birthday request and keep doing it even though it’s not my birthday.” And about a dozen other things.

He had come in two days ago, and evidently Jaejoong had remembered he liked his tea reheated, because he did it for him unbidden. Yunho had completely forgotten what he was going to write down when Jaejoong had brought back the tea. He’d thanked Jaejoong and then continued trying to figure out what his train of thought had been. He was aware that his brain was defaulting to using formality as a barrier, but he was so stressed from school and work that he wasn’t able to deal with that right now. He hadn’t been sleeping enough lately, either. Jaejoong’s voice brought him back to the present.

“Are you mad at me or something?” Yunho’s sleep deprived brain spat out its first thought.

“What? No.” _Look at him, you idiot. He can’t read your mind._ “Sorry, it’s not that. Really. I’m just… really, really busy right now.”

Of course. Saying only thank you after talking to Jaejoong for hours last week would come off as rude at the very least. He’d just been afraid his sleep deprived brain would slip up and he’d accidentally tell Jaejoong he liked him or something. His heart hurt a little watching the way Jaejoong’s forehead was creased in worry right now. _God, you’re stressing him out, too. Believe me, please. Believe me, Kim Jaejoong… I’m not sure I can get mad at you._ The desire to smooth out the worried frown on Jaejoong’s face with his finger was threatening to overpower him, so he looked down, feeling angry at himself, and Jaejoong walked away.

An hour later, Yunho’s brain was full of the calm, slow sort of feeling that accompanied exhaustion. He decided to put his head down for just a minute.

Yunho could hear a voice, but he wasn’t sure what it was saying. It sounded familiar, though. “Jaejoong?”

He hadn’t said the name out loud in too long, and now he didn’t want to stop. _Jaejoong… Jaejoong… Kim Jaejoong…_ He rolled the name around in his mouth, wanting so badly to talk to its owner. _No,_ he thought sleepily, _You can’t yet… you can’t just confess out of nowhere… it needs to be… special…_

There was something cold on his arm, shaking it. Yunho rested his head on it, then realized it was a hand. _Your hand… cold… are you cold…?_

How could a dream feel so real? Even after he put his head on it, the cold was still there. His mind wandered back to Jaejoong. _I haven’t been… ignoring you, promise… one minute, then I’ll go… and sorry…_ The hand on his arm was shaking him. This wasn’t a dream.

Yunho immediately drew his arms back to himself and snapped up in his chair. Oh God, Jaejoong was here. Jaejoong had been trying to wake him up. Had he said anything out loud?

Yunho’s barely functioning brain seized onto the reflex to flee.

Jaejoong figured out what he was trying to do and held out the pages Yunho had scattered all over the café table. The embarrassment was setting in. Yunho flushed and accepted them, muttering, “Thank you.” _Get out of here and make it up to him. Tomorrow._ “Sorry for falling asleep. Good night.”

“Let’s go, then. Do you have everything?” Yunho checked for his phone. Then his brain caught up to what Jaejoong had said.

“You don’t have to-”

Jaejoong turned a look Yunho had never seen on him. It was pointed and determined, and Yunho knew he was too sleepy to fight that. “It is after midnight and you’re half asleep,” he said sternly.

It wasn’t like he was opposed to spending more time with Jaejoong. It was all he wanted, actually. Jaejoong was still going. “It’s not even that far, and-”

All of Yunho’s willpower dissolved. “Okay.” Jaejoong froze, apparently surprised he’d given in so easily. Then he ushered Yunho out of the café.

Even after falling asleep, Yunho was still too tired to do multiple tasks at once. Like walk and figure out if he should come to the café after his exam and before hapkido tomorrow, or just come after hapkido. What time was Jaejoong more likely to be on shift? Yunho had to ask him out, and if he missed him, he’d come the next day.

He almost stumbled, but Jaejoong caught him. _He’s stronger than he looks,_ Yunho mused. Jaejoong really was so motherly sometimes, fussing over his coworkers. Now he was doing it to Yunho, and it made him feel warm.

Yunho stopped, realizing how far they’d walked. He pointed out his complex to Jaejoong. “There, that’s my building. Sorry for falling asleep-”

“Stop apologizing for that-”

“-and text me when you get home, okay?” Yunho felt the need to continue. He needed to make sure Jaejoong knew he hadn’t been ignoring him, or annoyed with him, or whatever he thought it was.

“Jaejoong…” He trailed off, not having planned his sentence. But Jaejoong looked up at him and stepped closer. He was lifting his arms, Yunho registered in disbelief. Then he decided to stop thinking so hard and he slid his arms around Jaejoong’s waist, hoping he hadn’t misunderstood.

He hadn’t. Jaejoong was hugging him back. _God, his waist really is so tiny… he feels so good…_ Yunho thought maybe he was still dreaming.

But then he hugged Jaejoong tighter, felt his heart beating against his chest. Felt him breathing. His warmth was diffusing through Yunho’s body. There was no way he was dreaming this. _It’s just a goodbye hug, you should stop-_

“Come to the café tomorrow, please. If you’re not too busy.” The sound of Jaejoong’s voice, so hushed and close, sent Yunho’s heart into a tailspin.

He let out a surprised laugh. What could Jaejoong want that he couldn’t say it here? “Okay. Why? When is your shift?”

“Three to eight. I… I need to tell you something.” _What?_ Yunho loosened his arms just a little, needing to see Jaejoong’s face. Maybe if he teased, he could get Jaejoong to tell him now.

“Just tell me now, silly.” _And after that, I need to ask you something. I should’ve asked you such a long time ago…_

But Jaejoong shook his head, looking pensive. “No. You’re really tired. You’re like half asleep.”

What did that matter? Being around Jaejoong made all his thoughts blur into want these days anyway. It wouldn’t be much different if he wasn’t sleepy. “No, I’m awake now. Really.” Jaejoong was avoiding his gaze, and Yunho lowered himself to his height, wanting to see those eyes. “Please?”

Jaejoong licked his lips. _Is he nervous? What could he be nervous about?_ Yunho tried to keep looking at Jaejoong’s eyes. If he looked at those lips, when he was this close, after Jaejoong had just licked them, too… he couldn’t imagine he wouldn’t try to kiss him.

Jaejoong took a deep breath, then met Yunho’s eyes. The determined look was back, and Yunho was positively transfixed. “Alright, alright. I… I want to go out with you again. You’re sweet, and funny, and smart, and you- you looked so hot last week, I wanna date you. I would like to date you.”

Yunho’s brain completely blanked out. Jaejoong thought he was what? And he wanted… he wanted what Yunho wanted, and suddenly Yunho knew only that he couldn’t say what he was feeling with words, and Jaejoong was in his arms…

He knew Jaejoong wasn’t fragile. But he couldn’t help wanting to be as gentle as he could, so he slid one hand around his neck as he kissed him, wanting it to be perfect and sweet. What he’d been hoping their first kiss would be. When he’d watched Jaejoong eat across from him at the night market and dared to hope that maybe he had a chance.

Jaejoong’s lips were soft and moving against his, and Yunho needed to be closer. Right now. He stroked Jaejoong’s cheek, feeling euphoric, and broke the kiss so he could wrap both arms around that waist before kissing him again. And this time, Jaejoong slid his hand into Yunho’s hair and tilted his head, kissing him deeper. Yunho sighed in delight, wondering what he had done right to deserve this. Jaejoong wanted to date him. Jaejoong was kissing him in front of his apartment, and would probably kiss him more tomorrow. Jaejoong’s fingers were stroking through his hair as they kissed, and it felt so good.

When they broke apart, Jaejoong’s fingers didn’t move from Yunho’s hair, and he didn’t want to stop touching either. He rested his forehead against Jaejoong’s, his eyes still closed. He needed to tell him something, and sleep deprivation had loosened his tongue. “God, you’re so beautiful. Been wanting to tell you forever.”

Jaejoong sounded surprised. “Really?” Suddenly it was very important to Yunho that Jaejoong know exactly how attractive he was. Did he really not know?

“You didn’t notice the freshmen at the exhibit staring at you?” Jaejoong giggled in response, and Yunho’s heart raced at the sound.

“They were probably staring at _you._ Your blazer, and your white pants… it’s unfair, you looked so good.” Yunho kissed him again, feeling incredulous. Jaejoong was being difficult on purpose. And for some reason, Yunho liked it. He was going to tell Jaejoong exactly how hot he was, until that lovely blush spread through his cheeks.

“Fine, you want to hear more. Hasn’t anyone told you your eyes are gorgeous? With those long eyelashes too… and that stupid soft white sweater with your skin… and the boots too, it doesn’t even make sense, I never thought boots were hot before-”

Jaejoong kissed him quickly, cutting him off, but Yunho needed to keep going. There was so much he hadn’t told Jaejoong when he’d wanted to. “-and your laugh, how does it sound so…” he didn’t even have words. “Bubbly? I don’t even know…” Jaejoong pulled away suddenly, and Yunho opened his eyes.

He’d never seen Jaejoong this close before. Now he took in every detail of his face just because he could. Jaejoong’s eyes were as big and bright as ever, and his tempting full lips were red. _From kissing me,_ Yunho thought, dazed. And on his cheek, near his eye, he had a tiny mole Yunho had never noticed before. The fact that he was close enough to see it ignited a fresh burst of want in his chest.

Jaejoong was watching him too, but now he avoided Yunho’s gaze, staring at his lips instead. Yunho felt giddy. Was he feeling shy? He liked Yunho enough to feel shy around him? “Close your eyes again. Please.” And how could he say no to that voice? Yunho complied immediately.

Jaejoong’s thumb brushed the side of Yunho’s lips. _Please kiss me, you tease._ Then he touched the same spot again, and Yunho realized what he was doing. That was where his own mole was. Jaejoong was saying something in a soft, wondrous tone, and Yunho barely resisted the urge to lunge forward and taste him anyway. “I heard somewhere that… moles are where your lover in your past life kissed you the most…” He kissed Yunho’s mole before finally moving a little to the side and kissing Yunho again. _Oh, Kim Jaejoong. Teenage me who felt so self-conscious about that mole would be going crazy right now. Be my lover in this life, and the next, and the next…_

Jaejoong pulled away, and Yunho’s thumb was already brushing the mole on his cheek. A ridiculous thought flitted through his head. He should kiss Jaejoong here, every day. So he could find him in his next life. “You have one too, I just noticed it.” Yunho moved his thumb so he could brush his lips there instead. He heard Jaejoong’s sharp inhale and kissed his mole again, not wanting to stop.

“Mmm. We should go, we should go.” Jaejoong whispered, and Yunho kissed that spot a few more times. It was late, Jaejoong shouldn’t go back alone.

“It’s really late,” he kissed the words into Jaejoong’s cheek. “Stay here?” Jaejoong shoved at him a little, and Yunho pulled away. He understood, but he should still try to tell Jaejoong it didn’t have to mean _that._ He had a couch, after all.

Jaejoong sounded firm. “It’s not one yet, the busses are still running. It’s not… I’d like to, another time, I just have… issues, I guess… I pace around ‘cause I’m a bit of an insomniac, and I can’t go to sleep if I haven’t brushed my teeth, and-” Yunho pressed his finger to Jaejoong’s lips lightly, cutting him off. It hurt him that Jaejoong felt the need to explain.

“I won’t push.” His thoughts went a little fuzzy at the feeling of Jaejoong’s breath against his finger. He kept touching Jaejoong’s lips absentmindedly, remembering last week. When he had walked Jaejoong home and it had taken all his willpower to not kiss him. “I wanted to kiss you goodnight so badly last time…”

Jaejoong squeezed his eyes shut, and Yunho couldn’t help smiling. There were no words for this feeling. He looked so beautiful, the moonlight glinting off his hair, the edge of his nose, his sharp jawline. And he wanted Yunho to kiss him.

So Yunho kissed him, long and slow, his hands sliding into Jaejoong’s hair. “Good night, then,” he whispered, breathing the words against Jaejoong’s lips.

Jaejoong whispered back, his lips pushing insistently against Yunho’s. “It’s morning now, actually.”

Yunho laughed. He kissed him again, murmured into his mouth. “Good morning, then.”

Then Yunho kissed him one more time, for when he actually woke up.

_I’ll give you as many kisses as you want, for as long as you’ll let me. You don’t have to try to hoard them now._


End file.
